Good Big Brother!

Riley's so sweet to Conley...every day he comes home and gives him a hug and a kiss. And he's even thinking about it before he gets home - as we drove home yesterday he told me - Mommy, when we get home I'm going to give Conley a hug and a kiss! 

The other morning it was so cute - he was leaving for school with Kelly and he said "See ya later Mommy and Conster!" Awe.....melts a Mother's heart! Speaking of...Kelly and I called Conley - Conster the Monster a few times...and I guess Conster stuck! One day Riley said he wanted to call him Conley Con Con! I was like I thought nicknames were shorter! LOL! I told Kelly if he's the class clown like Kelly was we can call him Comic Con. ha! 


Anyway...so far so good! Riley LOVES Conley and loves to LOVE on him! I know that may change once Conley becomes mobile and even *thinks* about touching a lightsaber! Then all bets are off!!

I BIG! I STRONG!

I was able to go pick Riley up the last two days from school - which I have to say - being in the car by yourself so you can dance and sing as loud as you want to with a good song that comes on the radio is HEAVEN to a new Mom! :) 

Anyway - we've had to stop by the grocery store to pick up just a few things the last two days, so I've just gotten a basket. And each day Riley takes it from me and says - Look at me Mommy! I BIG! I STRONG! I carry the basket all by myself! Then after we put one thing in it - he's like it's too heavy-you carry it Mommy! Then he'll hand me the basket, but take whatever I put in the basket out and say I'll carry this for you Mommy. Sort of equals out in a 3 year old kind of way I guess!

OMG that boy is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sweet! Please let him stay sweet...pretty please! His teacher told Kelly that he just loves and hugs everyone..probably b/c we hug and kiss him constantly which I think most parents do, but I guess it's just his thing! I'm from a hugging and kissing family! Actually both sides of my family are that way. 

Then today someone started backing out while we were walking into the store, and my little gentleman put his arm in front of me to protect me! But then he said - 'Watch out Mommy! I'll get it! I'll cut that car in half with my lightsaber!' There is not a problem in the world that cannot be solved with lightsabers - I have finally figured that out! 

I'm trying to think what else...I mean we are at the stage where he's nonstop talking so something sweet, cute and funny comes out of his mouth about every 10 seconds...I try to at least capture the highlights here so we won't forget! 

Riley's Royal Treatment

So...I remember a lady at work that has 2 sons telling me when I was pregnant with Riley - whatever you do, don't do everything for them! They'll just expect it when they get older! 

Well....I must have forgotten about that advice...Kelly has the excuse of never having heard it! ha! 

To say Riley gets the royal treatment may be an understatement.....just to give you a glimpse...this is his morning routine..during the winter at least. 

Kelly and I wake up - I go put Riley's clothes for the day in the dryer on high to 'warm them up'. Kelly goes down stairs to make whatever breakfast Riley has pre-ordered the night before at bedtime - pancakes (microwave kind at least), sausage, eggs, etc. 

While his clothes are 'warming up', I get in bed with him so we can snuggle. We put both our heads under the cover and I rub his arms, legs and back to 'warm him up'. Then I go get his shirt and we put his warm shirt on first! Then we do his warm pants and socks at the same time. Then he brushes his teeth while I fix his hair...then it's down for breakfast which is all ready and served at Riley's table. Then Kelly and I usually sit and eat breakfast with him..Conley too if he's awake. 

Then Kelly makes sure that he packs Riley's favorite snack in his backpack for the ride home too. 

Just a few of the things that are Riley's Royal treatment from BOTH Mom & Dad!

Conley's Carseat Face!

Seriously...I shouldn't even post this one, but this was Conley after he had SCREAMED all the WAY home from Target! OMG! Most kids sleep in car seats - neither one of mine do, but Riley never SCREAMED ALL THE WAY HOME like the little piggy! Ha! Ironically, Conley screamed all the way home from the hospital like this too...if only I had known it was a sign of things to come! ha! 

 

Riley the Jerry Maguire Kid!

Those are our glasses from when we went to The Price is Right and wore Drew Carey glasses!

So.....the verdict is in...

We're pretty sure Conley got Daddy's ears!! Bless his little heart! Maybe his head will grow into them though! :) 

What do you think??!

Daddy is Pok-E-Man!

As in his whiskers POKE me in the face Man! It's so funny...if Conley hears Kelly's voice out of nowhere..he will start blinking really fast bracing for the pokey face kiss that he knows is coming! I caught it toward the end of this video - he throws in some Sterne Baby Boy Howling too! 

 

Conley Slept through the night!

For the first time last week...
Twice...
Not in a row...
And hasn't since...
Until last night! He did it again! Yea for Mommy! She got the most consecutive hours of sleep she's had since he was born-FIVE! :) I feel like a new WOMAN today! Well...maybe not new...but an actual human being woman...

Man oh man though....Conley's the Energizer Bunny like his Mom USED to be called as Kelly pointed out to me! That boy can pull all-dayers and all-nighters! Riley was a sleeping fool and still is....THANK GOD!!! Just another way they are TOTALLY different!

Conley still hasn't slept except for ONE nap in his crib either! Oh no! He wants nothing to do with that thing! So he's only slept in his swing (I finally started moving him out to it so I could get real sleep not light sleep worrying about rolling over on him in our bed), our bed and my arms up to this point! I finally got him to start taking at least short naps during the day this week, so now mommy is more dependent on the swing than him! I value the free moments to brush my teeth and maybe my hair if I'm lucky! I swear...I have NO idea how I'm EVER going to make it back to work! At least on time...or even by NOON! Right now I have to start getting ready for something the day before..or there's no way we can make it! 

So due to all this non-sleeping...I made the executive decision yesterday we will be foregoing Christmas cards this year...after me almost having a nervous breakdown about trying to get it all coordinated...Kelly simply pointed out in his with ease Kelly way - just don't do or send one this year...wow! Why on EARTH didn't I think of that?! Like 4 weeks ago? Would have alleviated A LOT of stress in my life the last few weeks! Of course, after sleeping a whole 5 hours on it - I did wake up and backslide this morning trying to figure out a way we could still swing it. But I've since abandoned that thought again..when Kelly gave me the look as I plotted..if we take pics by Friday...etc!


Heck..I just got a few spare minutes today so I designed Conley's Birth announcement. At least I'll get that out, so he'll be an official member of the family!


Anyway...that also answers why there have been ZERO blogs from me too! Not a spare second for me these days!! Let's keep our fingers crossed that the holidays won't set Conley and I back to no naps and no nighttime sleep...that's all I want for Christmas Santa!

Riley used the potty! Yea!!

Maybe...just maybe...Kelly and I will get the Christmas present of not having to buy 2 types of diapers! But I'm not holding my breath! Although it definitely seems like we are starting to "turn a corner" with Riley...and he's dictating it. Kelly and I both backed off on all the potty talk when it became apparent Riley wasn't ready. I'll drop it into normal conversation here and there...like when you use the big boy potty you can wear your Star Wars underwear - that I have in the drawer right by his "wake up" diaper (pull ups) so he sees them every morning. 

Then one night last week...we went somewhere and Riley was going to bed really late...but he said I want to potty on the potty. I thought just so he could get out of bed ONE MORE TIME! But he sat on the potty and even went through the motions of wiping! LOL! But in the end said I can't Mommy! So we just move right along.

Then all of the sudden yesterday - he literally stripped ALL his clothes off and went to sit on the potty. Kelly and I figured it was another false alarm, and he likes his privacy so we just stayed away....and lo and be hold! He goes to the potty! Of course, he forgot to "hold his business" down so he peed all over the floor and everything, but I'll take it!! Later last night when I was putting his lotion on him after bath, he held his wee-wee down and said - I have to hold it down like this when I potty Mommy. So....stay tuned in the never ending story of when Riley will finally be potty trained!

Unfortunately, he hasn't mentioned it again since....

Chuck E Cheese with Kaden

We met Angie and Kaden at Chuck E Cheese or a play date last Friday night. Our friend Terri went with us - let's just say I think we scared her into being a nun for the rest of her life! LOL! With the breastfeeding and 2 older kids running around nonstop...it was jumping into the deep end of the pool for a single person! :) 

We had to go to the car for a bit so I could nurse Conley.

Anyway - as usual Riley and Kaden had a blast! 

Riley & Kaden playing a game!

Every one thinks they are cousins or brothers when we have them out together...in this pic you can see why. And ironically, neither of them were working their faux hawks this day either! 

Riley & Chuck E Cheese

This is the cutest video! But I swear I thought Riley was about to lay a big ol' kiss on Kaden at one point! LOL! :) He's such a sweetie!!
 

 
 Good times!

Ride 'em cowboy!

This is a post I definitely can't forget to do! Sometime in the last couple of weeks, Riley was in his room for a "nap". He still doesn't get out of his bed at night or in the morning - he'll call me to come get him still. But I now know he gets in and out of it at bedtime or in the morning before we get up because sometimes we go in there and the bed is FULL of books and toys as if he's been pulling an all-nighter! 

It's a little blurry, but this is Riley in bed with all sorts of goodies - that's the infamous elephant at the bottom left, he's holding a picture frame with he and Kelly's Halloween pic in it, and you can see 'B' and some books - there were tons of other books and Star Wars figures under his sheets too!

 I don't know if he got the stuff the night before or woke up earlier in the morning and played a little then went back to sleep, but he was dead asleep when we went in there!

Anyway - the real reason for this post - the other day Kelly heard a noise coming from Riley's room during nap time - when he opened the door - seriously...we can't make this stuff up - Riley had his BIG elephant on his bed, and was riding it like a cowboy, but an urban cowboy because he had a phone in one hand and his Star Wars Han Solo gun in the other hand! Kelly said he was talking on the phone and shooting the gun at the same time! I can't believe he didn't take a picture! That would have been one of the BEST blackmail pictures for when he's older! That boy!! His imagination is as active as ever these days...the things he does...and oh my the things that come out of his mouth! 

Patio Play Time!

Riley has circled back to an old faithful - patio play time - since the weather is so nice. He wants to go out there every day now...and he converses with anyone walking by. He takes his Star Wars figures out there - he and Daddy have lightsaber battles. Just whatever...

This day he was "shooting people". I'm sure there are some parents that would have a fit I let my kid play with guns, but Star Wars guns are pretty darn close to cowboys and indians that we used to play when we were little - yet more politically correct. Ha! For gun play anyway....LOL! 

 We'll skim right over the fact that he's in his pj's! LOL!

Random Acts of Riley

I have a list of blogs to do when I have time! Ha! Ha! Although...knock on wood...at 7 weeks old we seem to have turned a corner in the last few days with Conley at least taking 1 or 2 pretty good naps a day without being held in someone's arms! I'm getting really good at doing things 1-handed though! I did have a little break when Kelly's parents came for a week when Riley was 6 weeks old so I was able to catch up on household things that had been left undone! Literally - I still had not unpacked my suit case from the hospital!

Anyway...this post is about a few Random Acts of Riley that I've experienced or been told over the last few weeks. 

One day I was actually dressed by the end of the day and not due to feed Conley so I got to pick Riley up from school. On the drive home, I always ask if he had a good day, what did he learn, do, etc. This particular day he said - "Mommy, I had to go to the office. I in trouble." Oh no! I thought, who'd he hit this time?! LOL! I said - "What for?" He said "I was talking during nap time." I said - "Ri, you have to be quiet during nap time even if you aren't sleepy so everyone else can rest too." I turned around to look at him in his car seat and with every ounce of his little being he said "Mommy, I just can't be quiet!" Bless his little heart! I totally believe him! The boy NEVER stops talking! He's just being honest! I said, I understand it's hard sometimes but you have to try your hardest so everyone else can rest. 

And we probably don't help with our routine at home - Kelly and I each lie in bed with him at night for a few minutes after reading books to say his prayer and talk and sing songs, so he's used to getting one more round of talking/singing out of his system before he finally "powers down" for the night. 

To say his prayer we go back and forth: 
I say - Now I lay me
Ri says - down to sleep
I say - I pray the Lord
Ri says - my soul to keep
I say - your love be with me
Ri says - through the night 
I say - And wake me with
Ri says - the morning light. 

All together - AMEN! :) 

He also has another one they say at school God our Father - he says that one all by himself! 

Then Riley sings songs - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider and ABC's 2 times through. I've been trying to "video" it without the video - just the audio, but he always wants to grab my phone once he sees the light come on. 

It is one of the most prized and precious times to spend with him....

One night after we did our "usual", I could see his little mind just working..and I asked him what he was thinking about. He paused for a second then said without missing a beat "I'm thinking about a Darth Maul red double lightsaber Mommy!" Bless this boy's heart!! 

Sticking with the Star Wars theme - Kelly and I went to Riley's Thanksgiving luncheon last Friday. While we were there his teach told us 3 stories. She said one day he was running around and jumping when he was supposed to be lining up at the door, and when she told him to get in line. He turned around and looked at her and said "Ms. Amy - I'm a jedi!" Being the quick on her feet 3 yr old teacher she is - she said - "Well jedi's get in line too! They lead by example!" 

Then she said when she says let's sing songs - he asks her to sing the Star Wars song - which is really the Darth Vader march - Riley walks around our house singing "Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun" to the rhythm of the Darth Vader march! OMG - speaking of that - our friend Anne sent us the BEST Thanksgiving card that had Darth Vader's breathing followed by his march playing when you open it. Riley got the BIGGEST smile on his face when he opened that! And marched around with it ALL night! Of course, after he said Daddy let's play lightsabers - I'm Darth Vader and did his breathing!

Another school story was that Riley was sitting quietly beside a different teacher one day for a long time, then he turned and looked at Ms. Amber and totally out of the blue said "Ms. Amber - I love Anakin Skywalker!" Like I said before....bless his little heart!! 

Ms. Amy said if she remembers she's going to threaten to tell Darth Vader that Riley's not minding! LOL! I can see him replying with "I AM Darth Vader!" so that may backfire! 

What can we say....the boy has the Star Wars bug - BAD!!!!!

I think I've said it before...I can only IMAGINE the things that will come out of his mouth! Years of laughter and entertainment are guaranteed for Kelly and I...and now I can only imagine the things that will transpire between he and Conley...and the oh so many lightsaber duels that will happen in my house! 

Riley Introducing Conley to "B"

Up close and personal introduction to B and Riley brought the puppy over for Conley and put it at his feet!

See that smile of Riley's - he wants to play with Conley SOOO bad!

Then he gives him a sweet brotherly kiss! Awe...melts your heart!

Riley helping Mommy!

Riley LOVES to help me make banana bread with our too ripe bananas! His favorite part of course...smashing the bananas!! 

Smash those bananas!

Work it!

All done!

 

The Cookie Bouquet from the Hobbs Family

The Hobbs family sent us an adorable and yummy cookie bouquet when we got home from the hospital! 

Riley immediately spotted the one with his name on it and HAD to have it!

It said Big Brother Riley!

Awe...sweet brotherly love!

See Big Brother Riley on cookie.

Riley checking out his name! :)

A little closer inspection was required!

 

Pumpkin Patch 2011!

Sunday we ventured out on our first family outing to the pumpkin patch with Ethan, Emily & Nancy and their friends. All in all it was a successful outing! Conley did great - we even made it out to have dinner afterwards at La Hacienda - yummy! 

That's Ethan to left, Riley about to run away and Nancy far right.

Riley inspecting pumpkins.

At least he's bending his knees - proper form! :)

Uh-Oh! Bend those knees!

Yes...our son would decide to take a pumpkin in the hay house! Then EVERY kid inside came out yelling to tell on him! Funny stuff! Kelly peeked in the house and said they were all just standing against the walls...weird! It was a hit though!

Another hit...tires and hay bales!

Riley going down the slide...

And he's off...that's Kelly by the slide with no Riley in sight!

Cheese...but eyes closed..sometimes I hate my camera!

Pumpkin Obstacle course...I'm sure their future owners appreciate it!

After all the pumpkin inspecting...Riley chose one just his size!

Awe...how sweet, he's sharing with Ms. Emily!

So he had to go back to select a different one, but stuck with the same size! Mom & Dad got off easy!

Conley's 1st trip to the pumpkin patch in the pouch carrier.

Nancy & Ms. Emily! So cute!

Ms. Emily and her pumpkin!

Another one of Conster the Monster...his hand looks abnormally BIG!

Family photo! Can't believe Riley looked at the camera AND said cheese! Miracle!

Ethan, Riley & Emily as we were leaving La Hacienda. Riley already has his Mickey Mouse videos going on Kelly's phone for the ride home!

 

Riley & Mommy's First Star Wars Convention!

Help us all...and remember to NEVER say NEVER! This could be you one day too! :)

GiGi came to help the first weekend we were home with Conley, and Kelly and I had planned to take Riley to a Star Wars convention that just so happened to be 5 minutes down the street at the new Irving Convention Center. 

As we were walking up Riley was pointing to every character on the signs and all excited. He wasn't as into the people dressed in costume as we thought he'd be. He was happy once he had another lightsaber though. We just had to chase him around making sure he didn't take people or displays out. 

I even saw him challenge another boy dressed up as Luke Skywalker by tapping his lightsaber into that kids. I had to intervene!

Yes...adults do this! :)

Riley checking out Jango Fett armor

Boba Fett and Han Solo in carbonite - Riley said there's Han Solo!

It's a miracle I got a CHEESE AND he's actually looking at the camera!

He was more interested in Han than Darth at first.

Now he's wanting to check him out up close...behind the lines.

Daddy can take Darth!

My adorable Star Wars nerds!

REAL RD-D2 replicas..yes people do this in their spare time! You too can have one for $10k!

Riley checking out R2's parts.

All the different helmets.

Daddy & Darth Vader - Riley wanted NOTHING to do with him!

Until Darth offered him his lightsaber. Then Riley couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work.

It's not working Mommy!

So we had to get Riley his own lightsaber after the Darth encounter!

Riley getting Darth Vader's soldiers...notice how the clones are anything but clones...there were some in every shape and size at this place!

 Luckily Conley slept the entire time we were gone, so it was a successful outing.